This section provides background information related to the present disclosure, which is not necessarily prior art.
Liquid crystal displays (LCD) are used in a variety of applications to convey information to users and to facilitate operation of various systems. For example, vehicle heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems often include LCD displays on control panels thereof to facilitate operation of various HVAC modes, and to convey the status of the HVAC system to a user thereof.
Some HVAC systems include an LCD display divided into multiple display areas, with each area dedicated to a particular HVAC function or feature. For example, an LCD of an HVAC display may include a first display area dedicated to fan speed control, a second display area dedicated to temperature control, and a third display area dedicated to control of airflow direction. When a user inputs a command to the HVAC system, such as with buttons, knobs, or dials associated with control of the HVAC system, the display area of the LCD associated with the portion of the HVAC being controlled will be highlighted. Such highlighting is typically performed by increasing the backlight intensity of the display area associated with the feature being controlled. For example, if a user rotates a temperature dial in order to increase or decrease the temperature setting of the HVAC system, the area of the display that displays the HVAC temperature setting will be highlighted by increasing the backlight intensity of that area as compared to the other areas of the LCD displaying information relevant to features not being modified, such as fan speed and airflow direction.
While existing LCD displays are suitable for their intended use, they are subject to improvement. For example, with current LCDs, a very distinct, rigid, and abrupt border between the display area being highlighted and adjacent display areas not being highlighted is produced. An LCD with a gradual transition from a highlighted display area to a nonhighlighted display area would therefore be desirable. The present teachings satisfy this need in the art, as well as numerous others.